Smoke shops told to stop sale of pipes

Anne Krueger

EL CAJON – The walls are lined with hookahs and tall water pipes. Beneath the glass counters, dozens of colorful ceramic pipes are on display.

But if a smoke shop customer suggests using any of the items for illegal drugs, store managers say they'll show that person the door. Their businesses are legitimate, they say, and the items they sell are only for use with tobacco.

Sheriff's deputies delivered similar letters to stores in Lakeside and Santee, the start of a countywide effort.

“It's time to hold these businesses accountable for marketing products used to smoke illicit drugs,” said Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Gianera, a member of the county Methamphetamine Strike Force.

Gianera said the other devices sold in the stores – including water pipes and ceramic pipes – could be legally used by medical marijuana patients, so authorities decided not to target them for removal.

Possession of drug paraphernalia is a misdemeanor. Gianera said officers will return to the stores in a few weeks to see if the pipes have been removed.

Dee Martin, manager of Puff N Stuff on Chase Avenue, said he immediately removed the pipes when a police officer visited his store. “It's not something we should have been selling,” he said. “They bring in the wrong crowd.”

Donovan Small, manager of Up In Smoke on Broadway in El Cajon, said drug users will not be deterred by the removal of the pipes. “It's not stopping any of the users,” he said. “It's just taking money from the smoke shops.”